Oral history interview with John Chamberlain, 1991 Jan. 29-30

Collection Summary: An interview of John Chamberlain conducted 1991 Jan. 29-30, by Bonnie Clearwater, for the Archives of American Art.

Chamberlain talks of his studio in Sarasota; his assistants; working intuitively; encouraging a "sense of discovery" for the artists and audience; collaborating with poet Robert Creeley; his early interest in composing music; retrospective exhibitions; the "heroics of drinking" at the Cedar Bar; and working methods. Chamberlain was reluctant to be interviewed.

Biographical/Historical Note: John Chamberlain (1927-2011) was a sculptor from Sarasota, Fla.

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

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